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It comes up naturally to give a quick and comfortable sight picture without the need for a cheek rest adapter - even more so with the red dot.
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It “feels” good in the hands with the adjustable stock and pistol grip. I found the CQB very enjoyable to shoot from the bench, standing or walking in the woods. In particular, I tried out the CQB variant fitted out with a Vortex Venom red dot on a mount that replaces the stripper clip guide. On paper, mission accomplished! I have found “on paper” and “in hands” are not always synonymous. So, let’s take a look and compare it to my M1A Loaded Precision with an Archangel stock and optic. The idea behind the M1A SOCOM 16 was to provide 7.62×51 capabilities in a smaller, shorter and lighter package than the full-size M1A. The author compared the SOCOM 16 CQB against his M1A Loaded Precision for size. At the same time, there was also the desire to have the larger more effective 7.62 NATO round in a compact package. As time moved on, the market became more and more interested in smaller, lighter and more compact firearms. In these settings, having a large and heavy rifle is not really a concern. The M1A was a huge hit with the competition and long-range shooting enthusiasts, as it is known for its reliability and accuracy. From hunting in the field to urban defense, the SOCOM 16 CQB rifle is a handy rifle with many modern features. military relatively quickly, the spirit of the design has lived on with the M1A, introduced by Geneseo, Illinois’ Springfield Armory in 1974 - and it was an immediate hit. My 13-year-old son knows it as one of the better “sniper rifles” in his “Call of Duty” games.Īnd while the M14 may have left service as the primary rifle for the U.S. military, it is recognizable by most teen video gamers that may not even know what it is. Even though it did not have the longest of service lives with the U.S. In short, I think the M14 is one of the most iconic battle rifles ever. More compact than other versions of the M1A, the author wanted to know if the accuracy of the SOCOM 16 CQB held its own against its bigger brothers. Some might use the terms M1A and M14 interchangeably, but the M14 is the original military version while the M1A is the semi-auto civilian version of the M14. The M1A is the civilian sibling of the select-fire M14. But the M1A has a solid pedigree for long-distance performance, so how far can this little gun go?īut before we get started, let’s clarify something lots of folks get confused on. With a short 16.25” barrel and collapsible stock, this a gun designed for tactical uses and close-quarters conflicts. And it has a synthetic stock.The SOCOM 16 CQB is one of the smallest, most compact variants of the Springfield Armory M1A rifle. It has a tritium dot front sight, so shooters can see it at night. It has military sights that are adjustable for windage and elevation. Otherwise features of the SOCOM include a two-stage military trigger that sets off the action with a 5- to 6-pound pull. Springfield offers eight different models of the M1A and what makes the SOCOM 16 different from the others is its short 16” barrel and Picatinny rail for easy mounting of optics. It has a gas-operating system, so propellant gases are captured by a tube near the muzzle, the tube connects with the bolt where a valve catches the gas, and the gas pushes the bolt back so it can eject a spent casing and chamber a fresh round. Springfield recommends the SOCOM for military or law enforcement, but also hunting varmints. It was also known to be very accurate and reliable. The M1A is the civilian version of the famous M14, which was once a standard issue US military rifle. The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 is a semi-automatic carbine chambered in 7.62 NATO or.
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